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15 And Samuel left and went on his way from Gilgal.[a] The rest of the people followed Saul to join the army; they went up from Gilgal toward Gibeah of Benjamin.[b]

Preparations for Battle

Saul counted the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.(A) 16 Saul, his son Jonathan, and the people who were present with them stayed in Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped at Michmash. 17 And raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies; one company turned toward Ophrah to the land of Shual,(B) 18 another company turned toward Beth-horon, and another company turned toward the mountain[c] that looks down upon the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.(C)

19 Now there was no smith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “The Hebrews must not make swords or spears for themselves,”(D) 20 so all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen their plowshares, mattocks, axes, or sickles.[d] 21 The charge was two-thirds of a shekel[e] for the plowshares and for the mattocks and one-third of a shekel for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[f] 22 So on the day of the battle neither sword nor spear was to be found in the possession of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and his son Jonathan had them.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 13.15 Gk: Heb went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin
  2. 13.15 Gk: Heb lacks The rest . . . of Benjamin
  3. 13.18 Cn: Heb border road
  4. 13.20 Gk: Heb plowshare
  5. 13.21 Heb was a pim
  6. 13.21 Cn: Meaning of Heb uncertain

15 And Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal. The rest of the people went up after Saul to meet the army; they went up from Gilgal[a] to (A)Gibeah of Benjamin.

And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, (B)about six hundred men. 16 And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them stayed in (C)Geba of Benjamin, but the Philistines encamped in Michmash. 17 And (D)raiders came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies. One company turned toward Ophrah, to the land of Shual; 18 another company turned toward (E)Beth-horon; and another company turned toward the border that looks down on the Valley of (F)Zeboim toward the wilderness.

19 (G)Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, “Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears.” 20 But every one of the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, or his sickle,[b] 21 and the charge was two-thirds of a shekel[c] for the plowshares and for the mattocks, and a third of a shekel[d] for sharpening the axes and for setting the goads.[e] 22 So on the day of the battle (H)there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan, but Saul and Jonathan his son had them.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 13:15 Septuagint; Hebrew lacks The rest of the people… from Gilgal
  2. 1 Samuel 13:20 Septuagint; Hebrew plowshare
  3. 1 Samuel 13:21 Hebrew was a pim
  4. 1 Samuel 13:21 A shekel was about 2/5 ounce or 11 grams
  5. 1 Samuel 13:21 The meaning of the Hebrew verse is uncertain